Barnes - 'The First Goal Killed Us'

Ashley Barnes admitted a costly few minutes were enough to end the Clarets’ FA Cup hopes as Manchester City ran out 4-1 winners at the Etihad Stadium.

Barnes had given Burnley a half-time lead with a stunning fourth goal of the campaign as Sean Dyche’s men looked to become the first team to beat City this season in a domestic fixture.

But Sergio Aguero’s equaliser from a controversial quickly-taken free-kick was the first of two goals inside three minutes from City’s record goalscorer.

And the rampant Premier League leaders then added two through Leroy Sane and Bernardo Silva to extend Burnley’s 55-year wait for a win at City.

“It’s always nice when the ball hits the back of the net, especially against a club like this,” said Barnes, who followed up his Boxing Day goal at Manchester United as he impressed in a left-sided attacking role.

“But that game’s gone now. I thought in the first half, especially, we did really well.

“We had a game plan and I think it worked in the first half. We disrupted them and got in behind them and had a few chances.

“But I think a 10-minute spell from their first goal killed us a little bit.

“We were on the back foot when that equaliser went in. We just switched off and they’ve gone on and got the victory.”

The Clarets were upset Ilkay Gundogan was allowed to take a quick free-kick and catch Ashley Westwood out of position as Aguero burst through to make it 1-1.

They hadn’t recovered by the time Aguero struck again and with ruthless City quickly putting the tie to bed, Burnley will now look to recover from a testing spell of five games in two weeks ahead of a return to Premier League action next weekend.

“If someone (Westwood) is stood on the ball you’re going to do that until the referee tells you to get away, so it’s on the whistle,” Barnes told Clarets Player HD.

“But it’s our mistake that we switched off for that period after that for them to go and score a second.

“Obviously when they turned it on they were phenomenal.

“We will look at it from our side at see what we could have done better.

“We’re disappointed but it’s gone now and we have to concentrate back on the league and next week against Crystal Palace. We’ve got to prepare for that now.”